Whenever we want to create a panoramic image, we usually have to deal with the limitations of our mobile devices or the need to spend a lot of money on more advanced equipment. But software plays a very important role in the process, and that's why we have to mention the new version 2.0 of Image Composite Editor, a program developed by the people at Microsoft Research.
The Smartphone Panorama Problem
I've seen many panoramic images captured on smartphones, and I have to confess that they all were horrible. Of course, I don't mean to offend anyone, but... horrible. Obviously, capturing panoramic images is not one of the strong points of smartphones and tablets, although part of the blame can be attributed to their portable profile. The simple act of using a tripod changes things a lot, but that leads us to consider buying a more capable camera, turning panoramic images into a potential budget crisis.
What can we do? The Web is full of accessories and tricks to stabilize a smartphone while taking photos, but it's also a good idea to have a more or less robust solution on the software side. That's when Image Composite Editor from Microsoft Research comes into play.
What's New in Version 2.0
We first talked about it in October 2011 and there's no doubt it has grown a lot. The latest version 2.0, released last February, includes a redesigned interface, a function to automatically complete images (panoramic creation gives rise to irregular edges), full-resolution previews, and the possibility of sharing images via Photosynth, among other things. Image Composite Editor doesn't impose limits on image size, which opens the doors to creations of several gigapixels. It also supports the most important formats and can generate panoramas from video. The user indicates the parts that should be kept in each frame, and the software does the rest.
The download of Image Composite Editor is under eight megabytes, has editions in 32 and 64 bits, and as expected, works with Windows Vista SP2 or later. I'm sure many users prefer even more advanced options, but we can't deny the fact that Image Composite Editor presents itself as an excellent starting point, especially for those beginners who want to get their feet wet in the waters of panoramic images.
